Paul Cangelosi Poop 06


Another year…another poop.





Buy new or used through Amazon


Buy new or used through Amazon


Buy new or used through Amazon

This was the year of the ARCTIC MONKEYS. I had heard (from Mr. Jim Meyers) and read about these bunch of teenagers from the UK putting out "Whatever People Say I am, That’s What I’m Not" and as soon as it came out over here it was in my hands. The band wanted to make a disc for their friends and turns out to be the biggest debut in the UK. Their song structure can’t be beat. The killer guitar riffs that you can’t get out of your head and a rhythm section that makes you stand up and take notice. What’s truly amazing is that it doesn’t end there. Over the summer they released a 5 song ep and a 3 song single. The ep "Who the Fuck are the Arctic Monkeys" continues where "Whatever" left off only a few months prior. But it’s the single "Leave Before the Lights Come On" that really makes you stand up and take notice. The title track is the song of the year…hands-down with the catchiest tune i’ve heard in quite some time and remains within hands reach at all times. The icing on the cake?…taking a trip to the Roseland Ballroom with Mr. Meyers for a look, see and hear of the amazing lads from across the pond. As usual, the NYC crowd stood there and gave their attitude while Jim and I went apeshit with the assistance of a few Cuervo and OJ’s. They may not have put on a "show" but they were as tight as…well you get the point. Definitely one for the books!!! All I can say is that I hope they stay on the path that they’re on and not decide to "experiment" just yet. There’s plenty of time for that.


 


  Band website
Then there’s KNUCKEL DRAGER (forever indebted to Mat)…ah…those crazy masked/drag racing/surf/metal masters of the instrumental from Madison, Wisconsin. The release of "13" only being sold at their shows as of now is a step in the same…and right direction. They hammer you down with the three guitar assault. More so on this disc than on the previous two you can really hear the distinction between the three guitar players. The crunching metal sound over the surf riffs and the Farfisa bringing up the rear. And let’s not forget the excellent use of samples. From Evil Knievel rantings to classic movies like "Corpse Grinders" and "Switchblade Sisters". And as an added bonus for my pleasure a trip to the Rebel in the city for my first KD show with my buddy Mike to get the real hands-on hair curling experience of their live show. They may have been the warm-up band but they sure showed that it’s worth it to make it to the show early. The look on everyone’s faces when they walked on stage with their masks and ripped into their first song was worth the price of admission. Priceless.


 


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WOLFMOTHER‘s self titled disc is a blender full of flashbacks to the late 60’s/early 70’s classic metal. On the first track alone ("Dimension") here’s Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and the Jimi Hendrix Band all swirling around. The vocals are a mix of Robert Plant and Jack White. The song "Woman" could have been a Zeppelin track except the keyboard work is no John Paul Jones and could use some work. A great disc if you’re feeling a bit retro. There are a couple weak tracks but a nice effort.


 


  Free download (Beware! VERY ugly site…!!!)
With TRASH IS NEAT VOLUME 3…a two disc set that compiles thirty-nine cover songs of the Cramps by a wide variety of bands with a great mix of interpretations of classic songs from a classick band. Highlights include a cover of "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" by a trio of 15 year-olds called the Freakouts from Tacoma, Washington. The song is stripped down to the flesh. Also the cover of "Hot Pearl Snatch" by the Living Sickness. They totally change the song structure around and come out with a real gem. It’s rare that I like anyone tampering with the King and Queen of Rocks’ territory but these discs prove that it can be done…and done well.


 

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XM radio has exposed me to a lot of cool stuff and METRIC‘s disc "Live It Out" is a real find. It came out in late 2005 and I hadn’t had a chance to give it a fair listen and that’s why it’s on this years list. They sound nothing like the lead singer’s previous band Broken Social Scene. Tracks like "Monster Hospital" with it’s in your face attack is a real head shaker compared to "Empty" which quietly creeps up on you and then stomps on you when you least expect it.


 


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Another XM find is CITIES IN DUST‘s release "Night Creatures" caught my ear late in the year and am still giving it heavy rotation. Nothing earth shattering but some good crunching music.


 


Other highlights of the year were a second trip to the West Coast to hang out with Girl Trouble. The best part of the trip was them asking what songs i’d want to hear them play when they were doing a practice session and me saying…"it just so happens I have a list" and them banging out almost all of them…spanning their over twenty year career. Also a big surprise was going to see the Go-Go’s in Time Square and them playing their entire debut in order…talk about flashbacks from high school…what a great show…I didn’t realize I knew all the words until that night. Of course…there’s always seeing the Cramps. But this one was special…they played at the old church Limelight/Avalon/whatever they will call it during the "Motherfucker Party". The crowd was exceptional and absolutely crazed for the sickness that IS the Cramps. At 60 he’s
still a madman and Ivy is as sexy as ever.


Paul Cangelosi